People shocked to find out the real meaning behind 'California Gurls' lyric by Katy Perry
Topics: Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Super Bowl, Music, Celebrity
Joe Yates
Featured Image Credit: Capitol Records/YouTube/@NFL
Topics: Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg, Super Bowl, Music, Celebrity
When you think of Katy Perry, let's just say Snoop Dogg probably doesn't come to mind.
However, the two joined forces on the 2010 hit 'California Gurls'.
And it seems fans have figured out the true meaning behind a line from the song's lyrics which has left them shocked.
Advert
Snoop and Perry's tune has been streamed over 834 million times on Spotify, and perhaps a fraction of those understood what the 13-time Grammy nominee was referencing in the opening lines.
It was the lead single for her third studio album, Teenage Dream, and was famously played during that NFL Super Bowl half-time show - yeah, the one with the sharks.
During the performance in 2015, the pop star was allegedly told she wasn't able to sing the lyrics, so what did she do? Perry held the mic up for ticket holders at the former University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, to sing it for her.
Iconic.
It was heartache for Seattle Seahawks fans as the team lost 28 - 24 to the New England Patriots with Hall of Famer quarterback Tom Brady lifting the trophy.
But it was the 'left shark' which caught the eye of millions, as the back-up dancer in the seven-foot costume stole the half-time show with its out-of-sync choreography - while the 'right shark' was dancing seamlessly.
I digress... So what did Perry call on the audience to bellow in her absence?
With the song featuring Snoop 'Doggy' Dogg, if you guessed something weed-related, you're right.
Snoop opens with: "Greetings loved ones / Let's take a journey."
Perry starts: "I know a place / Where the grass is really greener."
Yes, she's referencing cannabis - with it being legal in California for medical use since 1996, although the song was released six years before weed was legalized for recreational use in 2016.
The reference comes just 11 seconds in, then after that Snoop reframes from rapping about it himself.
During another performance, the 'Firework' hit-maker mimics smoking while singing the lyrics.
katy perry wasn’t allowed to sing “where the grass is really greener” so the whole stadium did pic.twitter.com/3RAzsA6SR6
— II PURE WANTED HONEY 🍯 (@purethiquekj) June 22, 2024
This led to people putting two and two together and coming to the realization.
One person wrote on Reddit: "I was today years old when I realized 'where the grass is really greener' from California Gurls is a weed reference."
Another added: "Lol I didn't make the connection it would mean a weed... I always assumed it would be for describing California as the perfect paradise and just how you imagined it to be and the 'really' stressing on the point."
While a third commented: "Oh my gosh, I get it on another level now."